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I N T R A O P
V I S U A L I Z A T I O N
mally invasive procedures maintains image quality on video monitors and
brightens the outskirts of the sterile field, they said.
Green lighting improves overall ambient OR illumination without hampering
the surgeon's view because of the human eye's sensitivity to green light,
notes the study. Luminance under low-intensity green overhead lights
installed in 2 of Mass General's ORs was 5% of the luminance measured
under standard white lights, and effectively illuminated OR activities without
producing glare or washout on monitors.
The researchers said avoiding floor-level obstacles and reading medication packaging was much easier with the green lighting on. They noted that
skin tone and blood vessel colors appeared altered under green light, so a
standard flashlight was used when white light was needed to examine
— Daniel Cook
patients.
the clear, sharp images to the standard of care.
Inevitable evolution
So why do a number of ORs still rely on standard-definition screens?
High definition didn't impact the medical field as quickly as it did the
consumer market. It wasn't until around 2008 that HD became widely
available in the OR. The cost of high-definition monitors and imaging
tools has dropped considerably since the technology hit, but a widescale distribution of medical-grade devices needs to continue before the
use of tools that promise improved imaging becomes even more widespread.
When the Ronald Reagan Medical Center here at UCLA opened
about 5 years ago, the ORs were filled with standard-definition and
high-definition screens. In the rooms outfitted with HD, some ENT
and neurosurgeons pulled the operating table close to a wall-mounted
flat screen and operated off its images instead of looking through the
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